what if there's a footprint i left a life ago
by hetaliamongul123
Summary: ["I know this may sound rushed," Otou-san continued, "but I'm planning to introduce her to you this afternoon. They're moving in today, and we're getting married next week."] Kiku's father marries a Chinese widow who has already married three times. What's worse, his new stepmother's children are even weirder than he'd imagined. Especially the eldest son, Yao.
1. these too shall pass

**Character Directory at bottom.**

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 **what if there's a footprint** **i left a life ago**

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 _these too shall pass_

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"Kiku," said Otou-san, and Kiku looked up from his copy of _Weekly Shonen Jump_. "I'm getting remarried."

"Oh," said Kiku, blinking in surprise. "Congratulations, Otou-san."

"She's a good woman," Otou-san said. "A real-estate agent. I met her during my business trip to Osaka last year." He paused, as if considering whether or not to continue speaking. "She's Chinese."

Kiku stared.

"She speaks fluent Japanese, of course," Otou-san said hurriedly, "and her children can speak it passably well. I do hope you guys will get along—"

"Children?" Kiku asked, and for once did not care if he was being rude.

"Oh, of course," said Otou-san, "she's remarrying as well. She has four children from her previous marriages and three from adoption. If I'm correct, four of them are older than you. The eldest, from I've heard, is a prodigy who has already graduated university."

"Oh," repeated Kiku.

"I know this may sound rushed," Otou-san continued, "but I'm planning to introduce her to you this afternoon. They're moving in today, and we're getting married next week."

The magazine fell into a crumpled heap on the ground.

* * *

The doorbell rang. Kiku opened the door with a indifferent trepidation, steeling his heart for the worst.

"Ah, you must be Kiku-kun," the beautiful woman standing on the front doorstep said to him. She had shoulder-length black hair and amber eyes, and a long stretch of unmarred pale skin. She smelled faintly of vanilla citrus perfume. When she moved, the multiple Chanel earrings in her heavily pierced ears chimed quietly. "Is your father home?"

"Yes," Kiku said, feeling rather awkward. "Would you like for me to send for him?"

"You don't have to be so formal," the beautiful woman said. She lifted a set of perfectly manicured nails on his shoulder, smiling reassuringly. Her teeth were a brilliant shade of pearl white. "You can call just me Okaa-san."

Kiku flushed faintly. The woman seemed almost too perfect. It was rather disconcerting.

"Wang-chan, is that you?" Otou-san hurried from the living room, clutching a bouquet of purple lilies. "I thought I heard that beautiful voice of yours. These are for you, dear."

"Honda-kun, you _didn't_ ," the woman—Wang-san—gasped, wrapping her arms around him in a passionate embrace. "Oh, you are so awfully kind, and your son is simply the sweetest thing."

" _Our_ son," Otou-san teased, caressing her face. Kiku wondered if he was dreaming. Otou-san was by nature one of taciturn personality, and, unless he had been suppressing his inner romantic for fifteen years, would only act like this if extremely drunk.

"You are as charming as ever," Wang-san laughed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh, but where are my manners? I must introduce the rest of our children. Of course, two of them currently at their universities, and will be here tomorrow, and the eldest is currently still in China. Jia Long, stop hiding behind the hedge and come here where your new Otou-san and Onii-san can see you."

The shrubbery rustled, and a teenager glanced up sullenly. Her mother's soft features were visible but overshadowed by her angular foreign face; she had choppy short tea-brown hair and honey-brown eyes, and her skin was noticeably pink underneath her red changsan-style shirt. " _Mama_..."

"Please forgive my son," Wang-san said apologetically. "I'm afraid he's going through his rebellious stage right now. He had a foreign father, you see. British. And he used to be teased awfully for not looking like everyone else."

"No worries," Otou-san said, clasping her hand tightly. "Kiku had his rebellious period a long time ago, so I'd almost forgotten what it'd been like."

Kiku silently gaped. _Son_...?

The boy-who-looked-like-a-girl walked stiffly next to Wang-san, giving a wooden bow. "I am Wang Jia Long. Sixteen. Nice to meet you, Otou-san, Kiku-nii-san."

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Jia Long-san," Otou-san smiled, not unkindly. "Where are the rest of your siblings?"

"In car." Jia Long pointed to the black Porsche parked on the edge of the property, where it had previously camouflaged in the shadow of the surrounding trees. "They say they don't want to meet Otou-san until wedding."

"Of course, it's always good to follow family tradition," Otou-san, although, Kiku thought, studying the slightly strained smile of Wang-san, it probably wasn't family tradition that was keeping the rest of his step-siblings from entering. "Could you tell them that I will respect their wishes—"

"There's no need for that," Wang-san cut in sharply. She said something in rushed Chinese to Jia Long, who reluctantly shuffled towards the direction of the car. "I'm afraid my children have been awfully rude. Please don't take this personally, dear."

"Anything for you, darling," Otou-san said. "Ah, are those them?"

Kiku followed his gaze onto the emergence of three unfamiliar people: a girl and two boys. All were in their late teens, and dressed in similar outfits to Jia Long, with the exception of the shortest boy among them, who wore a kimono-like blue robe.

"Yes," Wang-san said. She grabbed the shoulders of the first teen, the girl. They bore an uncanny resemblance together, the only difference being that the girl's hair was dyed an ombre brown and cascaded all the way to her lower back. "This is Mei, my second daughter. She's fifteen this year."

"Hello," Mei said indifferently. Her gaze instantly fell on Kiku, before her expression changed to a more genial one. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Otou-san. Is this the Onii-san I have heard so much of from _Mama_?"

Otou-san smiled. "Yes. This is my son Kiku. He's older than you by three years, I believe."

"Hello," Kiku said awkwardly. Mei giggled, but did not answer.

"This is Andre," Wang-san said, breaking the silence. She presented the oldest-looking of the teens, a tall boy with expensive-looking wire glasses. He was foreign-looking as well, with tan skin, tea-colored hair and golden eyes, and a deceptively thin face many would describe as handsome. "He's eighteen as well, so he's the same age as Kiku-kun."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Andre said. He spoke fluent Japanese, with only the faintest of an accent. "I am looking forward to having you as new additions to my family." He extended out his hand, smiling in a way reminiscent of his mother.

"Indeed," Otou-san said. "I'm impressed by your manners, Andre-kun. My son would improve a great deal if he strived to be like you."

"You are very polite, but I am afraid I cannot accept the praise, Otou-san," Andre said. He glanced sideways through his glasses at Kiku. "Kiku-san, I will be honored to be your brother."

Kiku swallowed quietly. "Yes. I must say the same, Andre-nii-san."

"And last of all, Yong Soo," Wang-san said, and unless Kiku was seeing things seemed very reluctant to speak. "He is sixteen this year, the same age as Jia Long."

The boy smiled. It was obvious that he was one of the three adopted children Otou-san had mentioned about earlier; his facial features were notably sharper and more defined, and he looked nothing like his siblings or Wang-san. "Hello, _da-ze_! I glad to meet you!" He pressed his hands together and nodded slightly, causing the sleeves of his robe to fall onto the crook of his elbows.

Otou-san smiled as well, mimicking the bow. "Glad to meet you too, Yong Soo-kun."

"You more handsome than _Mama_ say," Yong Soo said. He grinned impishly. "Though she always talking about you."

" _Yong Soo_ ," Wang-san warned.

"Oh, did she?" Otou-san asked conspiratorially, and Wang-san flushed a bright red.

"Honda-san, you delight in teasing me," she said, and gently pushed his shoulder away in mock-rejection. "It hasn't been a week since we decided to get engaged, and I'm already experiencing the post-marital cruel husband." Otou-san laughed, pulling her towards him in an embrace.

Kiku stared, finding that he was unable to speak. Had Otou-san gone mad? Even if he really _had_ known Wang-san for a year, to have the distance between engagement and marriage separated by only two weeks was a bit too short of a time, wasn't it?

Nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

I must be living in a manga written by some cruel, sadistic mangaka _,_ he thought to himself, leaning against the wall for support. Or maybe just a really, really badly written fanfiction.

* * *

Kiku woke up the next day on a futon. Nearby, the prone forms of Yong Soo and Jia Long lay on his bed, his precious limited edition _Nana_ blankets crumpled and wrinkled around them.

At least the body pillow of Akeno Himejima in his closet hadn't been discovered.

Yet.

He stood up slowly and walked into the kitchen. On the counter, two unknown teenagers—a boy and a girl, both older than him—looked up from their Western-style breakfast as he entered.

"You must be Kiku-san," the boy noted, smiling as he set down his newspaper. He was tall and tan, with a pair of square wire fences around his honey-gold eyes. His voice was deep and rich, although he had an obvious accent. "I am Kasem, your older brother, _ana_. And this is—"

The girl nodded, "Lien." She was pretty in the modern sense, with hawk-like features and a strong chin. Her choppy brown hair was tied in a side ponytail with a dingy red ribbon at the end. Her eyes glinted amber in the light, like a predator searching for prey. Kiku made a note to avoid being alone with her at all cost; in some strange manner, she terrified him.

None of them looked anything like Wang-san, so it meant that Wang-san's genius eldest son had not arrived yet.

"Nice to meet you, Kasem-nii-san, Lien-nee-san," Kiku said, bowing slightly. It felt strange to address someone as an older sibling. Over the course of the day, he had gained three.

There was an awkward pause.

" _Mama_ made food for everyone," Kasem said, in an obvious attempt to break the ice. "Western. It is good, _ana_. Toto thinks so too."

"Toto?"

Kasem pointed outside. "My pet. He is shy, so do not move quick, _ana_."

Kiku stared at the giant elephant sitting at the front of the property. "...I don't think that's legal, Kasem-nii-san."

"He fine," Kasem shrugged, pointing to the frying pan over the stove. "Food in there, _ana_. You can serve yourself."

Kiku walked over to the pan, glancing at the contents. There were six untouched servings of scrambled eggs, neatly separated in clean strokes, with bacon slices, toast, and a cut tomato for good measure accompanying each serving. He contented himself by scooping up the food with the spatula tucked under the lid, placing it neatly on his plate and sitting across the counter from his new siblings.

Mei walked into the room, yawning something in Chinese. She was still in her pajamas, pink with small Hello Kitty designs on them, and her hair was tied in a messy ponytail. She froze when she saw Kiku, her face instantly turning bright red.

"Kiku-onii-san!"

He nodded stiffly. "Mei-chan, good morning."

"A-ah, yes," she said, giving him a strange smile, like she was having a heart attack and trying to suppress it. She walked to the frying pan, serving herself. "Good morning."

"People in Osaka talk different, _ana_ ," Kasem mused, eyeing the bacon slice between his chopsticks. "They say - _tan_ instead of - _san_ and yell a lot. Tokyo so much easier to understand, _ana_."

"Kasem- _ge_ , that's awfully rude," Mei said, sitting in the stool next to Kiku. Perhaps it was an accident, but when she moved, her hand grazed his lower back, sending chills of foreboding up his spine. "Just because Jun- _obaa-san_ talked like that, that doesn't mean all other Osaka people do. Anyways, you went to International College for two years in Tokyo, what do you know about Osakan people?"

Lien muttered something derisively in Chinese under her breath, her expression cold and uninviting. Kasem shrugged, replying in a different language that Kiku didn't recognize, before chuckling deeply. He looked pointedly at Mei, smirking.

Mei colored even deeper than before. Evidently she had an inkling of what was going on, although she seemed too mortified to explain.

Kiku finished his breakfast quickly, leaving the kitchen for the solace of the hallway closet. He suddenly regretted agreeing to his father's impromptu marriage so easily, feeling a sense of horror that could only be felt when ensuring his own downfall.

* * *

To his surprise, his new siblings did not create as much stress as he had anticipated. As a rule, they avoided him, congregating in the spare guest room and speaking in fluent Chinese.

"Yao-kun will be coming home tomorrow," Otou-san said to him on the fourth day after the unexpected announcement, looking as serious and stern as ever (and nothing like the lovesick fool that had been with Wang-san moments earlier). "Treat him well. He's coming to Japan just for the wedding, although he's a very important figure in a Chinese medical company."

"Oh," Kiku said, without thinking, the second time in four days, "alright."

"I'll depend on you, then," Otou-san said, and his demeanor somehow became intimidating. "Wang-san and I will be preparing for the wedding. Please don't accidentally disturb us, alright?"

"Mmm," Kiku agreed, returning his attention to his gaming device. "Yes, Otou-san."

If only he knew.

* * *

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 **Character Directory:**

 **Honda-san** (Otou-san) is **Honda Kiku's** (Japan) father. He is a widow.

Honda-san marries **Wang-san** (Okaa-san), who is a divorcee with seven children.

Wang-san's first marriage with a Chinese man produced **Wang Yao** (China). Together they adopted **Lien** (Vietnam) and **Kasem** (Thailand), a pair of orphans they found in Yunnan, and **Jung Soo** (North Korea) and **Yong Soo** (South Korea), twins from Korea. She divorced her husband.

Wang-san's second marriage was with a Portuguese man (Portugal). She gave birth to **Wang Andre** (Macau) before her husband had an affair with a man called **Antonio Fernandez Carriedo** (Spain) and they divorced.

Wang-san's third marriage was with an English man named **Arthur Kirkland** (England) and resulted in **Wang "Leon" Jia Long** (Hong Kong). However, they were not compatible and divorced.

Wang-san remarried her first husband and gave birth to **Wang Mei** (Taiwan). He died in a fishing accident a year before Wang-san became engaged with Honda-san.

Jung Soo ran away after his adoptive father died. He has not been seen since.

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	2. a scar is only so when cuts run too deep

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 **what if there's a footprint i left a life ago**

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 _a scar is only so when cuts run too deep_

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Yong Soo and Jia Long were moved to the second guest bedroom to join Kasem and Andre, in preparation for Yao's visit. Kiku's bed was rearranged and given new bedsheets, a larger pillow, and even a coverlet. Kiku, however, remained on the futon and was paid no mind to. (It wasn't like he _cared_ , anyway. Don't mind me. I'm just part of the scenery here.).

The day of Yao's arrival seemed to have a festive air to it. Kiku's new siblings talked restlessly in more Chinese, even writing a large paper banner in broken Japanese that read 'Back You Are Uncle'. Wang-san said something about not having talked to her son in nearly a year, which ended up in waterworks and Otou-san immediately rushing to her side to comfort her; the sentimentality of the scene, however, was somewhat ruined by the fact that Kiku had as a matter of fact heard her chattering to Yao on the phone the other day, excitedly discussing his visit.

Somebody placed an incense burner over the microwave.

And then it was a race against time to double check that everything was perfect again, Wang-san quarantining the kitchen to whip up some extravagant hundred-course feast, Lien vacuuming the same stained patch of the floor for a good thirty minutes straight, _Yong Soo go set the table or I swear I will maim you—_

The doorbell rang at precisely seven-thirty in the evening. Mei and Yong Soo both made a rush to the door, bickering with each other angrily until Kasem opened the door in their stead.

A person stood outside.

The first thing Kiku processed was that Yao was noticeably feminine in appearance, with glossy black hair tied into a ponytail, sharp, slender features, and slanted golden eyes that were even fiercer than Lien's—if he had not known explicitly that Yao was a man, Kiku would have definitely mistaken him for a female. Yao looked similar to Wang-san, but not so much that they were identical; his face too angular, his eyes too prominent. A golden amulet dangled from where the hair was tied, shaking with every movement, giving the impression of someone regal and elegant. He was dressed impressively, with a white suit that seemed to be made of silk and a single crimson red tie.

The second thing Kiku noticed was that Yao was a little taller than himself, although that could easily be explained by platform shoes (so maybe Kiku was being a too little generous in that estimation).

" _Mama_!" Yao cried, rushing into Wang-san's arms, and immediately breaking the regal effect. His voice was much higher pitched than what Kiku had expected, sounding (and looking) more like a female high-schooler with a friend than an important employee at a elite medical firm. He shouted something that Kiku couldn't understand, his lips stretching from one side of his face to another.

("What a fine young man," Otou-san whispered to Kiku, looking pleased. "Do your best to be more like him, Kiku."

Kiku frowned moodily.)

Wang-san chuckled, answering back in rapid Mandarin and embracing Yao back tightly. She finally let go after about five minutes into the embrace, looking slightly embarrassed at the bemused faces of her children around her, her face flushed a light pink. "This is your new Otou-san, Honda-san."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Otou-san said, offering a hand. He looked slightly nervous, although Kiku couldn't quite make out why.

"Yes," Yao said, suddenly regaining the mature and professional aura once more. His voice deepened slightly, but was still on the feminine side. "Please, take care of my mother, aru. I leave her in your care." His grasp of Japanese was impressive for someone who had never lived in the country itself, although Kiku really should have expected it from a so-called genius.

"Of course," Otou-san said, and looked relieved again. "I'm glad to have your approval."

Wang-san raised her eyebrows, a slender finger reaching onto her neck to scratch an itch. Otou-san blushed.

Yao turned to Kiku, smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Kiku-kun."

Kiku would have bristled at the informal address if it weren't for Otou-san's hawkish eyes burning holes against his back. "Yes, Yao-niisan," he said, and feigned a smile. Judging by Yao's wary expression, it must have come out as more of a grimace instead.

" _Gege_!" Mei cried suddenly, rushing into Yao's arms and pushing Kiku out of the way. Kiku thought, perhaps vindictively, that they looked like a pair of female college students. Yao's choice in hairstyle certainly did him no favors. "You're back!" She spoke the second part of her sentence in Japanese, something that seemed rather odd. A second later, she glanced oddly at Kiku, giving him an exaggerated wink.

Yong-Soo shouted something angrily in Mandarin at Mei, wrapping his arms around Yao's back and—

 _—groped him?_

Yao frowned, easily prying off Yong-Soo's fingers from his chest and shrugging off Mei's still encircled arms. He looked at Otou-san, his expression changing almost sheepish. "Otou-san, thank you so much for your hospitality. Do you mind if I unpack first, before dinner?"

Otou-san said something that Kiku, still in shock at what he had just witnessed, did not catch. Yao nodded in response, bringing in a leather-bound suitcase that Kasem immediately took off his hands, and immediately walked to the hallway where the bedrooms were.

"Oh dear, _Yong Soo_ ," Wang-san said, sounding slightly exasperated. "How many times have I told you to stop harassing your brother? And in front of your new family, nonetheless. What kind of behavior is this?"

Yong-Soo muttered something in Mandarin.

"Say it in Japanese. You're not talking to me, but Kiku-kun and your Otou-san," Wang-san admonished.

"Sorry," Yong Soo muttered. He didn't look very sorry.

"That's quite alright, Yong Soo-kun," Otou-san said. He gave a congenial smile. Yong Soo looked suspiciously at him, no long impish and cheerful, before running off into the area that Yao had disappeared into. A loud yell immediately ensued.

"I'm sorry, dear. He's awfully spoiled. I've always let him have his way when he was younger, ever since his broth..." Wang-san suddenly stopped, turning pale. She brought a hand to her head, looking as she were going to faint.

Otou-san immediately reached a hand to her shoulder. "Wang-chan?" he asked intrepidly.

"I'm fine," Wang-san gave a brilliant smile, almost blinding Kiku's eyes. She reached inside a pocket inside her Angora wool jacket, pulling out a linen handkerchief, which she then used to dab nervously at her lipstick with. "It's just been a tiring night, you see."

"Of course," Otou-san said, not pressing any more. Kiku blinked, briefly wondering if there was something that Wang-san hadn't quite told them yet.

...of course not. Wang-san was much too honest and kind for that. He was just being paranoid.

Right. Paranoid. Of course.

* * *

Dinner was starting to get cold by the time Yao finally came out of the bedroom. He had changed out of the white suit, and was now wearing an olive T-shirt and jeans that looked casual but somehow still exuded an expensive impression.

(Speaking of which, all of Kiku's new siblings and Wang-san appeared to be dressed impeccably, even Yong-Soo, who's kimono-like robe seemed to be made entirely of silk. Just how rich were they, and why had they come to live in Otou-san's modest four bedroom house near the suburbs instead of an expensive penthouse apartment in Tokyo?)

Once they were all seated around the table—a difficult task, considering they were already hard-pressed for seats and Kasem and Lien were both sitting in makeshift chairs—Wang-san passed around the chopsticks, placing a freshly steaming bowl of rice in front of everyone.

" _Itadatakimasu_ ," Kasem said, slightly butchering the pronunciation as he pressed his hands together. At that, Kiku looked at Otou-san, trying to see his reaction—whenever Otou-san saw foreigners mangling Japanese customs, he would frown and mutter about _impudent gaijin_.

Contrary to expectations, Otou-san laughed. "It's _itadakimasu_ , Kasem-kun," he gently corrected. "You have an extra _ta_ after the _itada_. And a little less emphasis on the _u_ sound."

Kiku didn't really know what to think anymore. Otou-san had been acting so uncharacteristically for the past few days that had he not known better, he would have suspected schizophrenia or that he had been replaced by a clone.

"Okay," Kasem nodded, and tried again. " _Itadakimasu._ "

"Very good," said Otou-san, and gave his own thanks for the food after that. "Wang-chan, what did you put into this _dashi_? It's delicious."

"Thank you," Wang-san said, blushing slightly. "I thought I would experiment a little with the bonito flakes this time."

A little farther away and on the opposite end of the table, Jia Long made an outburst, startling Kiku and making him turn his full attention to him. He appeared to be having an aggressive chopstick battle with Mei over a bowl of rice.

"Stop shoving your damned rice in my bowl!" Jia Long hissed, and Kiku was slightly impressed that the feminine-looking teen was well-versed enough in Japanese to know such crude language. He had a slight accent back when they'd first met, but it seemed to be an act.

"Don't you know that I'm on a diet?" Mei whispered back, forcefully shoving a clump of rice into her brother's plate. "And you should know that _Mama_ doesn't let me put it back into the rice pot. She says it's 'disrespectful'."

"Then give it to Kasem, or something, he's a _fan tong_." Kiku didn't know what a _fan tong_ was, but by the tone that Jia Long used he could tell it was something used in a negative context.

"No way, he's too far away," Mei said, straining her neck to look in Kiku's direction. Kiku hurriedly turned away, pretending to be interested in the fish fillet in front of him.

"Then what about Yong-Soo?"

"He's still in a bad mood from earlier. You know what he's like when he gets reprimanded—Jung Soo was the only one who could console him." _Jung Soo_? Was that the name of one of Yong-Soo's friends from China? It didn't sound Chinese to him, though, although Kiku was no expert.

"Why are we still talking in Japanese? What if that old geezer or that kid with the stick up his ass overhears us?" Kiku bristled at the flippant disrespect shown towards his father and himself, but didn't move.

"It's good practice, since we'll be living here from now on. Anyway, Honda-san's too busy talking with _Mama_ , and we're too far away from Kiku-kun for him to hear us." _Kiku-kun_? Since when had Mei started referring to him so casually, and on a - _kun_ basis too?

"Anyway, just give the rice to Yao- _ge_ if you don't want it." Jia Long eventually turned the conversation back around. "What if I'm on a diet too?"

"Shut up, if I give it to Yao- _ge_ he'll start worrying that I'm ill or something and I'll end up on a bed for three days while he tries to nurse me back to health. Seriously, the last time was so traumatizing."

"And what's keeping me from telling Yao- _ge_ this moment about your so-called sickness?"

"...I'm going to video-call Lukas about how mean you've been to me."

"You wouldn't dare."

"I should be saying that."

Kiku eventually lost interest in the conversation, turning his attention back to Otou-san, who was now questioning Yao with the same eagerness and rigor as an interviewer conducting a job interview.

"And how long have you worked in the company for, Yao-kun?"

"Three years," Yao said, somehow managing to chew a slice of braised pork belly and talk without managing to look sloppy. "I was given the opportunity by one of my professors in university, who recommended me to the CEO."

"Oh! Kiku has a lot to learn from you, it seems. I worry about him; all he does is laze around and read manga these days. If he had even a fraction of your capability, I could rest easy as a father."

"You praise me too much."

Kiku frowned at how high of a pedestal Otou-san seemed to hold Yao, and how low of a bar he set for Kiku. Yao _was_ impressive, sure, but there were smarter geniuses out there who were much more talented than his new brother.

Life had been better, before Wang-san and these new siblings came into the home. Back then, even if Kiku brought home failing grades, Otou-san didn't care, let alone 'worry about him'. It was easy to predict Otou-san's moods—if you did something that would upset him, he would become upset; if you did something to please him, he would remain as indifferent as ever.

Wang-san brought change into the household, but Kiku had always been one for tradition.

He didn't like Yao, Kiku finally decided. It was a conscious dislike, one that took effort to maintain. Yao had somehow managed to win over Otou-san, something that Kiku in all his eighteen years had never managed to achieve.

After all, in Otou-san's eyes, he was just a failure.

* * *

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End file.
